Signments



Kpril 11, 1933. J E, PERRAULT Re. 18,793

METHOD OF MANIPULATING MULTIPLE FASTENERS- 1926 :s Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed Sept. 15

INVENTOR. Joseph .Perrauli BY A TTORN April 11, 1933.

J.- E. PERRAULT 1 Re. 18,793

METHOD OF MANIPULA'I'ING MULTIPLE FAQS TEN ERS Original Filed Sept. 151926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WHIP, I

IN V EN TOR.

' fiseph EPerrault BY 1 ATTORNE April l933- .1. E. PERRAULT Re. 18,793

I METHOD OF MAN IPULATING MULTIPLE FASTENERS Original Filed Sept. 151926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 III III IN V EN TO R.

Jbs h E.Perml zli BY I ATT1':Y.

'Rei ued Apr-.11, 1933 UNITED STATES PATE'NT oF cF.

JOSEPH n. :eEamUL'r, or warna'rownmassaonusm'rs, assreivom'ry masivu AS-srer'mmrrs, 'ro nooxmss rasrmum COMPANY, A conrona'rmn or PENNSYL- VAN[A METHOD OF MANIPUIA'I'ING MULTIPLE FASTENERS Original 1 0. 1,679,828,dated August i, 1928. Serial 1%. 185,684, filed September 15, 1926.Application for reissue filed January 20, 1932. Serial No. 587,830.

means for rapidly, economically and eflicient- -ly performing theseoperations.

My present invention relates to a method of and apparatus formanipulating multiple fastener elements ofthe type disclosed in LettersPatent of the United States $121,571,095 granted to the Hood RubberCompany as my assignee on the 26th day of January 1926.

In an application filed by me on the 2nd day of June 1926, #113,274, Ihave disclosed a method of and apparatus for making the male elements. v

The male-elements so produced require that their bases shall be slottedto receive the tapes and thereafter they must be threaded upon the tapesand clamped thereon;

The femalefasteners are likewise manufactored with closed bases whichrequire slotting before they canzbe assembled upon the tapes in-the samemanner.

As these elements are relatively small this presents quite a problem andthe present invention aims to provide a method and The mvention lncludesthe novel and means hereinafter described and particularly defined bythe appended claims.

In order'that the invention may be better understood reference is madeto the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation partly insection showing a device for 'assem ling the elements upon a carrier ortransfer'bar or element. Fig. 2 is a detail view partly in sideelevation and partly in section showing the 'carin position therein.Fig. 3'is an end view of the carrier bar. Fig. 4 is a plan viewillustrating the means for and manner of transferring the fastenermembers from the carrier bar to the spacer bar.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional detail view' one.

method manner of and- Fig. 8 is a plan view illustrating the manner ofthreading the tape in the fastener elements; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view illustrating the compressing of the channelwallslon the tapes.

- In the present application I have illustrated and described myinvention as applied to the manipulation of the male fastener elementsas produced by the machine and method disclosed by my'appliqation#113,274

hereinbefore referred to but it will be obvious that it is applicablewith certain minor changes, to manipulating the female fastener elementsas well.

The fastener elements as produced by saidv These are placed in areceptacle 2 (Fig.

journal ed to rotate about aninclined axis and being rotatable .by handor otherwise. Said receptacle is provided with a plurality of blades orprojections 2, which, as the receptacle rotates, elevate the fastenerelements until they drop onto a deflector plate 3 which deflects andguides them to a chute 4 fast to deflector -plate 3' and supported atits lower end by bracket 5. The lower portion (approximately half) of.the chute is cut-away or stepped to receive the'initial assembling andtransfer or carrier bar .6 provided with a channel correspondingapproximately in I shape to the shape of the fastener elements (Fig.3),- the chute 4 having a corresponding guide channel alined with thecarrier or transfer bar when the'latter is in the position shown in Fig.1.

Thecar-rier bar is removably supported by the cut away portion of thechute, conveniently by providing it at the upper-end with opposed springfingers 6 which grip the opposite side-faces of the chute (only onefinger being shown) and. by providing the lower end of the chute with aclamping .plate 7 which serves to close the channel at the lower end ofthe carrier bar, and press the latter upwardly against the edge of thechute. Said.

plate 7 is acted on by a pair of springs 8 encircling screws 9 passingthrough openings in the 'presser plate and tapped into the end walls ofthe chute on each side of the carrier bar.

From the shape of the channel in 3' it will be readily observed thatonly those fasteners that are properly positioned, i. e.

pointed side up, can enter the channel, and

that any others would slide down the top of the chute. The depth of thechannel is such that the pointed ends of the fasteners which areproperly positioned do not project appreciably above the top of thechannel.

To remove any others from the chute I provide a rotating Wheel 10 drivenby suitable bar is used for the manipulations leading up toand'including the application to the tape. .Such spacing bar is shown incross section in Fig. 5 and comprises a main bar 12 having a toothed orcomb bar 13 secured to the upper face thereof by overlying plate 14 andtap screws 15. The spaces between the teeth are just sufiicient to admitthe fastener elements and the width of the teeth corresponds to thedistance apart the elements are to be spaced when applied to the tape.

The bar 12 is of greater width than bar 14 as shown in Fig. 5 and hasremovably secured to the projected face thereof by suitable means suchas tap screws 16, a plate 17 which forms a fastener receiving channelinto which the teeth of the comb bar project transversely. Bar 12 has arebate 12 which, with the face of plate 12 forms a point receivingchannel. a

\ For transferring the elements from the carrier bar to the spacing barthe plates 12, 14 and 17 are removed from the comb bar and the latter isplaced on its side (in inverted position from that shown in Fig. 5) in aguide way 18 while a loaded carrier or transer bar is placed in a guideway 19 arranged at right angles to guide way 18, and in the samehorizontal plane, the spacing bar being arranged so that its toothedportion as it is moved in the guideway 18 will travel across the end ofthe carrier bar. If now the spacing bar is moved to the left, Fig. 4,and endwise pressure applied to the row of elements in the carrier barchannel, said elements will successively be inserted in the spacesbetween the teeth.

A table 21 is arranged convenient to the delivery end of guide way 18 toreceive the filled spacing or comb bars.

While the movement of the spacing bar might be accomplished by a merepushing operation, I prefer to provide the guide bar with a slide 22carrying a pawl 23 adapted to engage the teeth of the comb bar andcarrying also a roller 24 ooacting with a cam 25 fast on a shaftjournaled in suitable hearings in the guide and actuated by hand wheel26through the belt connections shown where by the spacing bar isintermittently moved one space at a time.

After the spacing bar has been filled as above described the plates 14:and 17 are applied as shown in Fig. 5 thereby clamping the fastenerelements in position with their bases uppermost, and they are ready tohave said bases slotted which may be readily'accomplished-as shownconveniently in Fig. 6 by placingthe spacing bar in a suitable guide 27and moving it past a circular metal cutting saw 28 which may be driveninany suitable manner not necessary to be shown herein.

The saw cuts through the bases of the alined elements and intersects thetransverse openings and completes the fastener element by providing, itwith the tape receiving slot such completed form being shown in Fig. 7.In

this form the jaws formed by the slots need spreading apart that theymay the more readily receive the tape.

While this spreading might be accomplished by hand I prefer to provide apress having its bed block or platen 29 provided with means forcentering and holding the spacing bar such as bars 30 and 31, and aplunger 32 operated in the usual manner and provided with an openingwedge 32* having one face perpendicular and one face inclined so thatthe fasteners are spread towards one side only, this being necessary inconnection with the particular shape of spacing block used as will beobvious.

After the aws have thus been spread apart the carrier tape may bereadily inserted. This, as is well known to those skilled in the art,comprises a tape ofsuitable length having a beaded edge, usually formedby f-olding a tape about a cord. The spacing block is preferably removedfrom the press and placed in a holder 34 shown conventionally in ig. 8and the-tape'threaded through the spaced apart fasteners carried therebywith the bead lying in the openings and theedge of the tape projectingfrom the slots. The tape partially inserted is indicated at 35. A terthe tape has thus been inserted the only remaining operation prior tothe application of the strip .to the article of foot wear or other placeof use, is to clamp the elements firmly on the tape. This isaccomplished preferably by placing the spacing bar on i% side in a presshaving its platen 36 provide with fixed and movable guides or abutments37 and 38 respectively, (in Fig. 9) removing the plate 17 and sub1ectingthe fasteners to the action of the presser member 39 carried by thepress plunger 40.

The upper surface of the platen 36 is inclined slightly to a horizontalplane and the face of the presser member 39 is correspondingly butreversely inclined so that after the walls of the fastener members arecompressed they incline towards'each other and cooperate with the guidesin the manner disclosed in my aforesaid patent. This inclination of theplaten and die face further acts to facilitate the clamping action ofthe elements on the tape or stringer.

I claim:

1. The herein described method of manipulating multiple fastenerelements of the type described which consists in cutting through thebases of the elements to form slots, widening the slots by a spreadingaction, inserting a carrier tape, and-thereafter compressing the wallsof the slots upon said tape.

2. The herein described method of manipulating multiple fastenerelements which consists in rigidly holding a plurality of such elementsin alinement and in spaced relation with their bases exposed, cutting achannel in said bases, spreading the walls of said channel, andinserting a carrying tape in said channel while the elements are sorigidly held, and thereafter compressing the channel walls to cause themto grip the carrying tape.

3. The herein described method of manipulating fastener elements whichconsists in feeding such elements into the receiving spaces of anelongated holding member, clamping them therein with their basesexposed, slotting said bases while held bysaid member, and inserting acarrier tape in said slots, removing the assembled elements and 45 stripfrom the holding member, and forcing the opposed walls of the channelstowards each other to cause them to grip the tape.

4. The herein described method of manipulating fastener elements havingbases provided with transverse openin s which consists in assembling andrigidly olding a. plurality of said elements with their openings inalignment and bases exposed, cutting-a slot longitudinally of the row ofelements in the bases thereof to'intersect the openings, and threadingthe beaded edge of a carrying tape through the alined openings while theelements are so rigidly held, andthereafter compressing the opposedwalls of the slot'upon said tape.

5. The herein described method of-manipulating fastener elements whichconsists in feeding said elements into a carrier bar, transferring themsuccessively from the carrier 65 bar to the receiving recesses of aholding bar,

clamping them in the holding bar with their bases exposed, cuttinglongitudinally of the assembled elements to provide slots in said bases,spreading the walls of said slots, inserting a tape in said slots, andthereafter compressing the walls of the slots upon said tape.

6. The herein described method of manipulating fastener elements of thetype described which consists in automatically feeding said elements tocarrier bar, successively transferring the elements therefrom to aspacing bar, bifurcating the bases of the elements while so held,spreading the bifurcated portions, inserting a carrier tape therein, and

. compressing the bifurcated portions to clamp the tape.

V 7. The method of-manipulating relatively small fastener elements'consistin g of slotting the bases of said fastener elements duringtheir formation to receive and be clamped upon tapes while held inuniform spaced relation in a comb bar, characterized by placing a numberof the elements en masse in a container, and automatically transferringthem in series to a chute, and then mechanically transferring them inuniform spaced reiation from the chute to the comb bar inserting ac-arrier tape between said bifurcated base portions and pressing saidbase portions together to hold the elements firmly on the tape. v

8. The process of making fasteners of the type comprising a carrierstrip and a plurality of individual fastening elements secured to thestrip in spaced relation, which consists in forming fastener elements,placing-a number of elements en masse in a contamer, mechanicallytransferring the elements in orderly arrangement from the container to aholder, forming the elements with bifurcated spread apart portionsduring the process, holding the elements with their bifurcated portionsexposed and in spaced alignment, placing a carrier strip in thebifurcated portions, and pressing the bifurcated portions together tohold the elements firml on the strip.

9. he method of manipulatin elements of the type which are bi fastenerfurcated during their formation to receive and be clamped upon tapes,characterized by forming bifurcations in the elements and mechanicallyand automatically feeding said elements to a carrier bar, successivelytransferring said elements therefrom to the equidistant spaces of a combbar, inserting a carrier tape in the bifurcations of the elements andcompressing the bifurcated portions to clamp the elements to the tape.

10. The herein described method of manipulating multiple fastenerelements which consists in placing a number ofelements en masse inacontainer, manipulating the elements to deliver them in orderlyarrangement to a receiver, transferring the elements while so arrangedto the equidistant recesses of an elongated holding bar, forming in saidelements bifurcated spaced apart base portions, which are in alinementwhen said elements are held in said bar, inserting a carrier tapebetween said bifurcated base portions and pressing said base portionstogether to hold the elements firmly 0n the ta e.

JOSEPH E. ERRAULTQ

